GB1601188A - Suction cleaners - Google Patents

Description

PATENT SPECIFICATION

( 21) Application No 23696/78 ( 22) Filed 30 May 1978 ( 31) Convention Application No.

904814 ( 32) Filed 11 May 1978 in ( 33) United States of America (US) ( 44) Complete Specification published 28 Oct 1981 ( 51) INT CL 3 A 47 L 5/34 ( 52) Index at acceptance A 4 F 11 A 4 B 12 E 12 J 12 M 12 X ( 54) SUCTION CLEANERS ( 71) We, HOOVER LIMITED, a Company registered under the laws of England, of Perivale, Greenford, Middlesex, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:-

This invention relates to suction cleaners and is concerned with their nozzle height adjustment.

According to the present invention, a suction cleaner has a frame which is mounted on wheels by bearings whose axes are fixed relative to the frame, and a suction nozzle which is carried by the frame, with freedom to move up and down relative to the frame, and the cleaner also includes adjusting means which sets an adjustable limit to the downwards movement of the suction nozzle relative to the frame, but sets no limit to the upwards movement of the suction nozzle.

Conveniently the adjusting means comprise a cam and cam follower Preferably the arrangement includes resilient detent means for retaining the cam in a position of adjustment when not engaging the cam follower.

Further features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description, of one specific embodiment given by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of a cleaner incorporating the invention with parts broken away; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of lower portions of the cleaner with the nozzle at its lowermost point of adjustment; Figure 3 is a view like Figure 2 but showing the nozzle body at its highest adjustment point; Figure 4 to 6 illustrate somewhat schematically the adjusting means and the indexing means in their high, medium and low positions, respectively; and Figure 7 is a perspective partially exuloded view of lower portions of the cleaner showing the nozzle body and associated structure with certain parts removed.

The drawings show the invention ap 55 plied to a suction cleaner 10 including a hard bag housing 12 (with a handle not shown) and a nozzle body 14 A motor fan unit 19 incorporating an electric motor and fan is rigidly secured to the hard bag 60 housing The nozzle body 14 and motorfan unit 19 are carried by a carriage 26 provided with rear wheels 16 and front wheels or a roller 18.

The motor-fan unit is mounted with its 65 axis extending transversely across the cleaner and is free to pivot about that axis relatively to the nozzle body and carriage, to allow the handle to rise and fall in use, and the nozzle body is free to 70 pivot about the same axis relatively to the carriage to allow the nozzle to rise and fall as it rides over a floor covering.

The carriage 26 comprises a generally U-shaped pressing affording a pair of 75 arms 28 and 30 extending rearwardly from a power drive module 20 which provide bearings for the front roller whilst at their rear ends the arms carry a shaft on which the back wheels 16 rotate 80 The arms 28 and 30 have internal pilot bosses at an intermediate point in their length to receive bosses (not shown) projecting from the ends of the motor fan unit 19 (rigid with the hard bag housing 85 12) so as to enable the handle of the cleaner and hard bag housing to pivot up and down in use This is generally conventional and will not be further described.

The main structural members of the 90 nozzle body 14 are a pair of brace members 36, 38 of which the brace member 36 also includes an integral pilot boss 40 which is nested over the pilot boss 32 of the arm 28 while the brace member 38 is 95 similarly pivoted to the arm 30 of the carriage 26.

The pivoting of the brace members 36 and 38, and with them the nozzle body 14 to which they are secured, enables the 100 00 0 M (" 1) 1 601 188 1 601 188 latter to turn to a limited degree in relation to the carriage 26 between the position shown in Figure 2, in which the nozzle is close to a plane tangent to the wheels, and the position of Figure 3, in which it is substantially above that plane; it is with this movement that the present invention is concerned.

At their forward ends the brace members 36 and 38 (forming part of the nozzle body) include bent over portions 42, 43, 44 and 45 to which an agitator housing 46 is secured by rivets 48 and screws 50 The agitator housing extends across the width of the front of the cleaner and houses the agitator 52 The agitator housing is covered by the nozzle housing 54 as shown in Figures 2 and 3 One end of the agitator housing communicates through a rigid duct (not shown) and the pilot boss 34 with the suction inlet to the fan of the motor-fan unit, whilst the other end of the agitator is connected by a belt passing through a passage to the opposite end of the motor shaft so as to drive the agitator in a conventional manner.

The nozzle housing 54 envelopes and hides the agitator housing 46 and generally provides the appearance casing of the machine It is attached by screws 56 and the brackets 58, 60 and 62 integral with the brace members 36 and 38 and to the agitator housing 46.

It will therefore be appreciated that the nozzle body 14, including the nozzle housing 54 and agitator 52 can pivot about the axis of the pilot bosses 32 and 34 relatively to the carriage 26 on which the wheels are mounted, so as to pivot the nozzle from the position of Figure 2 to that of Figure 3 In accordance with the invention, the nozzle is floating, but adjusting means is provided to limit the lower level to which it can sink.

The adjusting mechanism is shown in Figures 4 to 6 in three different positions.

The adjusting mechanism 22 comprises a linear cam 64 attached to a slide member 66 mounted under the top wall of the nozzle housing 54 The slide 66 is secured by a screw 67 to a knob 68 projecting up from the nozzle housing 54 A stub section 69 of the knob 68 rides in a slot 70 in the housing 54 with the knob proper overlapping the slot in both a forward and rearward direction.

Co-operating with the cam 64 is a cam follower in the form of a roller 72 mounted on a pin 74 carried by the power drive module 20 forming part of the carriage 26.

The cam 64 has three substantially horizontally dwell points 76, 77, 78 near its opposite ends and its middle, and these are separated by continuous ramp portions 80 an 81 sloping gently from one to another The slide member can be easily manipulated by the knob 78 due to the rolling action of the cam follower and the gentle slope of the cam.

Since the nozzle body 14 is pivoted 70 to the carriage 26 so as to be floating, means is provided to retain the cam in its position of adjustment when the cam follower is not in contact with the cam Such indexing means comprise a pair of up 75 standing ribs 84, 86 projecting as shown in Figure 7 from the top of the agitator housing 46 and each having in it a series of shallow angled steps 96, 98 and 100 as shown in dashed lines in Figures 4, 5 and 80 6 The screw 67 securing the slide member 66 to the knob 68 also secures a locating leaf spring 88 which bridges the ribs 84 and 85 and is also located by pipe 91 on the slide member 66 To prevent canti 85 ng, the spring 68 includes two opposite downwardly and outwardly disposed arms and 92 formed with detents 94 which co-operate with the steps 96, 98 and 100 of the ribs 84 and 86 90 It will therefore be appreciated that in use the nozzle mouth engages the carpet upon which it rides or floats so that it can adjust its level in relation to a plane tangential to the wheels in accordance with 95 the thickness and characteristics of the carpet At the same time, the downward movement of the nozzle relative to the plane of the wheels can be limited by adjustment of the cam 64 by operation of the 100 knob 68 With the knob and cam in the position shown in Figure 6, in which the cam follower roller 72 engages the dwell point 78, the nozzle is free to sink down to the lowest position shown in Figure 2 105 With the knob and the cam as shown in Figure 4, in which the cam follower roller engages the dwell point 76, the nozzle is raised to the uppermost position shown in Figure 3 110 With the knob in the middle position of Figure 5, the downward movement of the nozzle is limited to an intermediate position As the nozzle floats up and down, as it rides over the carpet, the locating 115 means 34 prevents the cam shifting away from the position to which it has been adjusted.

Claims (8)

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 120

1 A suction cleaner having a frame which is mounted on wheels by bearings whose axes are fixed relative to the frame, and a suction nozzle which is carried by the frame, with freedom to move up and 125 down relative to the frame, and the cleaner also including adjusting means which sets an adjustable limit to the downwards movement of the suction nozzle relative to the frame, but sets no limit to the up 130 1 601 188 wards movement of the suction nozzle.

2 A cleaner as claimed in Claim 1 in which the adjusting means comprise a cam and cam follower.

3 A cleaner as claimed in Claim 2 including resilient detent means for retaining the cam in a position of adjustment when not engaging the cam follower.

4 A cleaner as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3 in which the cam comprises steps or dwell points separated by shallow ramps.

A cleaner as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 4 in which the cam is linear and is mounted to slide longitudinally.

6 A cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims having a transverse axis motor casing mounted to pivot about its axis, with a handle and dust container, relatively to a nozzle body which affords 20 the suction nozzle and is also mounted to pivot about the motor axis relatively to the frame, the latter movement being limited by the adjusting means.

7 A cleaner as claimed in any one 30 of the preceding claims in which the adjusting means is controlled by a knob upstanding from the top of the nozzle.

8 A suction cleaner as specifically described herein with reference to the ac 25 companying drawings.

KILBURN & STRODE Chartered Patent Agents Agents for the Applicants.

Printed for Her Majesty's Stationery Office by The Tweeddale Press Ltd, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1981.

Published at the Patent Office, 25 Southampton Buildings, London, WC 2 A IAY, from which copies may be obtained.